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I was born in Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I spent my first few years out of college in the Investment Banking world, as a senior consultant working at Factset (NYSE: FDS) a leading provider of online data and analytic tools for investment professionals worldwide.
Then the Internet happened. For the past 10 years, I have used the Internet as a platform to start up and grow companies with new, disruptive value propositions. My first start-up was a company called BizFilings, which I co-founded in 1996. As the company's President and CEO, I grew Business Filings from a business concept into the Internet's leading Incorporation Services Company, without any outside capital investment. In 2002, I led and negotiated the private sale of the company to the global publishing company Wolters Kluwer.
I co-founded my second post-web start up, NameProtect, with Mark McGuire in 1997. A vertical search engine company, NameProtect provides trademark research and digital brand protection services to a diverse and global customer base. The company was purchased by Corporation Services Company in a private transaction that was finalized in April, 2007. Under my leadership, NameProtect raised multiple rounds of Venture Capital investment, built out its core search offerings, and achieved double digit growth rates for multiple years in a mature and highly competitive Intellectual Property services market.
I left my operating role at NameProtect in 2003 (shortly after the sale of Bizfilings) and spent two years enjoying my family and pursuing interests such as golf, poker, and real estate investing. During that time I realized that I am most happy in the start-up world, bringing new business models to market, building passionate teams, and hopefully changing and disrupting the status quo.
I am currently the Chief Executive Officer of Jellyfish, my newest collaboration with Mark McGuire. Jellyfish is a big idea. It won't be easy to pioneer a new, customer-centric form of online advertising, but I'm excited to leverage my experience, energy and passion to make JellyFish the company that changes how you think about Internet advertising and shopping online. | 